Converge Southwest: Senior Adult Ministries

Thanks to all 143 of our senior adults and to Dr. Jim Smith for participating in this awesome weekend of spiritual enrichment and great fun in the beautiful Murrietta Hot Springs area. Below are a few photos of the 3-day event with more to come...

Great Lakes Adventure

Holland Tulip Festival and Mackinac Island
May 4 - 13, 2006

On May 4th, 47 of our Southwest Baptist seniors gathered at the Detroit airport with anticipation and excitement, ready to share an adventurous and fun-filled 10 days. Chris Knowles was our always upbeat and helpful tour guide and Andy Knowles was our excellent bus driver. We were privileged to have a beautiful, almost brand-new bus for our tour.

Our tour took us to many varied and interesting places, beginning with several hours touring the Henry Ford Museum. Later that day, after a long drive through beautiful scenery, we experienced a dune buggy ride on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan. The next day centered around one the highlights of the trip, as we spent most of the day in Holland, Michigan, enjoying traditional dances in Dutch costume and wooden shoes, Dutch Village and Veldheer Tulip Gardens. We were told that not only the tulips, but the lovely blooming trees were at their peak, and we had a beautiful day to enjoy it all. On to Mackinac Island, set back in time and only bicycle and horse and carriage transportation allowed. Highlights were a tour of the island by horse and carriage and an incredible buffet lunch at the elegant and famous Grand Hotel. We then headed for Canada, stopping at Whitefish Point to visit the oldest working lighthouse on Lake Superior. Dinner was provided as part of the Soo Locks Dinner Cruise on the St. Mary's River while we viewed the lock system which allows river travel between Lake Superior and Lake Huron. We spent the night in Sault Ste. Marie, Canada. The next day, a scenic bus trip took us to Door County in Wisconsin. Our host provided us with an authentic fish boil dinner, complete with fiery climax. The following day took us to the Wisconsin Dells where we enjoyed a river cruise and the interesting layered rock formations. Next, we were a bit overwhelmed as we spent several hours touring Alex Jordan's incredible and unbelievable House on the Rock. Chicago was our destination at the end of the day with an elegant farewell dinner at Marshall Fields. The next morning brought us an interesting city tour before our flight home.

Despite some long stretches of road travel, we were never provided a chance for boredom. Chris supplied us with many games and lists of items to look for on the way, complete with prizes, also music and the ever-popular candy buckets! Don Pugh prepared devotionals to share with us. You can catch a glimpse of our happy group at the Grand Hotel in the photo below. If you have never traveled with us, we hope you will look forward to joining us on our next trip!

by Don Pugh